The Rose of Provence (4 page)

Michel was heading to the dissecting room, looking forward to
escape into the coldness of the room away from the sultry heat,
when one of his friends joined him in a hurry.

“
Have you heard?” Pierre asked excitedly. “It is rumored that
three new corps have arrived.”

“
No, I haven’t heard that.” Michel looked at him, inquiringly.
“Have the number of malefactors sentenced to death increased
suddenly?”

“
Not at all! These were not executed, but young girls. They
have already been buried, but because some say that they went to a
better world so soon one after the other, the magistracy decided
upon their resurrection.

“
Epidemic-suspicious cases?”

“
We cannot exclude this. Anyway, it’s going to be interesting
to dissect female bodies finally, because only men were among the
murderers and robbers so far.”

“
If you attend more courses than pubs, you wouldn’t have
missed the witch last time. But there’s nothing to lose, as I see,
we will get more and more such female corpses too.”

“
Oh, come on! A burnt corps can never come anywhere near a
fresh, show-white body…”

“
Pierre! Should I be worried about your taste? Anyway, the
woman last time was hardly scorched, the smoke suffocated her. The
stack did not flame properly; the wood could have been
wet.”

Along the walls of the dissecting room, large blocks of ice
were breathing cool air. Some were already standing around the
laid-out corpses on the oilcloth-covered tables, but when Michel
entered, they gave way to him. All the three corpses were lying
nakedly with closed eyes as if they were ashamed of their nudity.
One of them had flaxen-hair and was relatively skinny. The other
two were brown-haired and plumper. Their long curls rested on their
shoulders, but just partly covered their breasts, and there was
nothing at all to hide their laps. The professor was explaining
with wide motions:

“
It’s obvious that we are not facing the plague, because the
characteristic dark-blue pigmentation cannot be seen on their skin.
But because they were young womenfolk, it is also for sure that
they didn’t die of old age. We can exclude the accident as well,
because there is no sign of injury on them. It’s good that the
plague didn’t pop its head up again, but I’m afraid that we’re
facing a new, unknown epidemic.”

While the others were loitering around, listening to the
master and gazing at the dead girls, Michel stepped to the first
corps and took a close look at the body. Then, without having asked
for permission, he swept the dim blonde hair aside on the
shoulders, revealing the girl’s neck and chest. The others were
watching him breathlessly, and the professor grew quiet as well.
Michel leaned closer to the dead body, because he noticed two tiny
red spots behind the left ear, three inches from each other. He
went to the second, then to the third table, and swept aside the
long curls in the same way. He discovered the same dots, the size
of a pinprick on these bodies, but they were on the right side of
the neck on the one, and on the left wrist of the other.

“
I think, if I’m not mistaken if I say the death is in
connection with these small wounds.” He stated
contently.

“
But what could this be? The bite of a giant spider?” asked
Pierre.

“
Maybe, yes.”

“
Then the cause of death is poisoning?”

“
Probably, but we cannot exclude that the animal, which caused
the bite, spreads some kind of epidemic.”

“
Let’s get down to the dissection, because the ice blocks melt
quickly and the decay had already started before the time of
resurrection,” the professor pointed to the tables. “Michel and
Pierre, together with me, are going to work on the blonde; the
three of you start to cut up this brown, and the rest, the
other.”

The skin and soft flesh easily opened under the sharp
lancets, but to their greatest surprise, there was not a single
drop of blood in the girls’ bodies.

“
But how could this happen? Did they dry out in the grave?” as
Pierre said what all of them were thinking about.

“
Where did they bring these corpses from?” asked Michel,
furrowing his brow.

“
From the Chateaurenard estate,” the professor was browsing
the yellowish sheet of paper.

“
Who is the landlord there?”

“
Earl Morgan d’Angerville.”

“
I think it’s going to be best if I look around there,” stated
Michel.

On the following day, early in the morning, he rode out to
the estate.

“
I’m looking for the earl,” he said, instead of greeting when
the valet opened the door.

“
Who is looking for him and what is your aim?” The servant
measured him up after he saw that it was not a nobleman that
arrived.

“
I’m Michel de Nostradame, and I’m doing epidemic research by
commission of the university.”

“
I’m sorry, but the lord is still asleep at this time. Come
back later.”

“
I’d rather wait until he wakes up.”

“
As you wish,” the valet stepped back, and offered a seat to
the uninvited guest in the hall.

According to the ornate wall clock, Michel had to sit there
for almost two hours, but the time felt to be even more. At ten
o’clock, finally, he was told that the lord is ready to welcome him
in the library room.

Stepping into the room, he was surprised how great a
collection the earl has. The room was at least twice as big as the
usual baronial libraries, and the shelves full of books, were also
lining up so densely that Michel felt himself in a labyrinth
without an exit. He wonderingly carried his look around when the
earl silently stepped forward from behind one of the ceiling-high
shelves. According to the amount of books, Michel was waiting for
an old man who enriched the collection, inherited from his
ancestors during his entire life. That is why he was surprised at
how young the man was. He was not much older than him; he must be
around thirty. His ebony hair reached his shoulders, and his thick,
dark eyebrows highlighted his azure eyes even more. His sturdy
jawbone and chin were bare, which was contradictory to the fashion
of the era. Michel had to admit that despite his serious look, the
shaven face and appealing smile gave the earl a boyish
charm.

“
What wind blew you here, Monsieur de Nostradame?” greeted
d’Angerville. However, the distrust, hiding in the corner of the
man’s eyes, did not escape Michel’s attention.

“
I came from the medical university of Montpellier, and with
your permission, I would like to ask you some questions because of
the suspicion of an epidemic arose in the case of the three
recently deceased women on your estate.”

“
Go ahead, ask me your questions,” the earl pointed towards
the comfortable leather armchairs, offering Michel a
seat.

“
In what circumstances were the corpses found?”

“
They were found in the morning, lying in their beds. Just as
if they were sleeping.”

“
All of them in the same way?”

“
As far as I know, yes.”

“
Who found them?”

“
The valet. He went to check why they hadn't arrived for work,
because they have never indulged in such negligence
before.”

“
Did he notice anything strange?”

“
I don’t know what you’re thinking about, but he did not
report such things to me.”

“
Did illness precede the ladies’ death? Did you notice some
kind of physical or behavioral symptoms on them?”

“
As far as I know, they weren’t attacked by a disease, but it
would be useful to ask the other servants about this as well.
Obviously, you understand that I don’t follow every step of my
servants with close attention.”

“
Of course sir. I’ll ask the others,” nodded Michel as if he
finished, but then, he changed his mind. “Just one more question:
we found two tiny wounds, the size of a pinprick, on all the
corpses. Maybe it’s a spider bite. Did you find, by any chance,
large spiders on the estate?”

“
So far, we haven’t, but these animals live a relatively
recluse lifestyle. They hunt at night and withdraw into the thick
bushes during the day. But if we catch one, I promise, I’ll send it
to you in a jar.”

“
Thank you. I will not hold you up any longer
then.”

“
Have a nice day, and if you meet the rector, please, convey
my greetings to him!”

Michel turned around and left, but he heard that the earl had
not closed the library’s door behind him. An unpleasant feeling
seized him while he was receding down the corridor: as if an icily
glowing pair of eyes sank into his back.

Chapter 6

Red Rose of Arles

Arles, Provence – 1528 summer

Michel was ambling towards home morosely and empty-handed.
Light was not shed on the mystery of the strange wounds and
bloodless bodies. He interrogated the staff in vain, but he felt
that there is something wrong with the d’Angerville castle. Before
he set out from Montpellier to visit the earl, he asked around, but
with little result. The only certain thing was that he had moved
here two years ago, but nobody knew where he came from. There were
corresponding opinions about the fact that the earl is a fantastic
talker, has appealing manners, but it also turned out that
regarding his own self, he is rather reticent and does not like
speaking about himself. Michel had to admit that it was nonsense to
expect more of this visit.

Arriving in Arles, he decided not to cook any longer under
the steaming hot midday sun, and his stomach gave signals
increasingly pretentiously too. Through the narrow streets, he led
his horse towards the main square of the town. He knew an inn
there, where he always had a good meal in return for a modest
payment. The Ancient Olive Tree was waiting for guests with gates
wide open, and it would have been hard to resist the heavenly
smells meandering on the street. Michel, of course, did not even
think about protesting against the appetizing dishes; while getting
off his horse, he was already mentally tasting the roasted rabbit
bathing in paprika sauce. However, when he tied the bridle to the
wooden fence, an urging feeling rushed through his body, which
forced him to glance up. The sight made such an impact on him that
the rest of his senses immediately failed. His hand stopped in the
air, the noise of the main square and the nearby alleys did not
reach his ears, he did not smell the magnificent fragrances leaking
from the inn, and he forgot the promise of the roast’s flavor as
well.

A young girl was ambling along the square. The alabaster
color of her angelic face was highlighted by bronze-red cascade of
hair, emerald-green eyes, framed by long eyelashes, glittering
under her nicely curved eyebrows and a bleak smile was playing
around her beautiful lips. Her slender body was wrapped up in a
soft, cherry-red dress; a sand-colored lace shawl rested on the
delicate line of her shoulder. A basket swung on her arm, full of
colorful rose petals.

Michel’s heart caught on fire in a flash. He did not feel
like he was burning to ashes from of the sunbeams shining on his
head. He was watching the unique phenomenon, and he knew that not
only the girl’s glowing beauty captured him, but the mysterious
power flowing from her.

“
Neat woman folk, right?” The innkeeper stepped behind
him.

“
Amazing…” Michel slowly returned to the ground from the
clouds. “Who is she?”

“
She is a governess at the La Fontaines; her name is
Amrita.”

“
Is she married?”

“
No, but don’t get high hopes. Several young men have already
danced attendance on her so far, but she gave all of them the
bucket. But who knows? Maybe you’re going to be the lucky
one!”

She disappeared in an alley, but Michel did not move for many
more minutes.

“
Will the evening find you here?” asked the innkeeper. “Come,
a tender rabbit is waiting for you inside! You can also taste our
newest specialty, the rose cream soup. All of our guests go crazy
for it!”

Michel spent the next few days practically half asleep. As
much as he could, he tried to concentrate on his studies, but his
thoughts always rambled to the main square of Arles and to the
heavenly phenomenon. His appetite increasingly declined, and he
tossed and turned sleeplessly in his bed at night. A week later, he
could not take it any longer and decided: he will go back and find
the girl. He has to talk to her by any means; he has to get to know
her personally.

The following day was Saturday; duty did not call him to the
university. He swung into the saddle and galloped to Arles. It was
not hard to figure out where he can find the house of Baron La
Fontaine. He settled down in the shade of a large willow on the
other side of the road and waited. This time, the minutes and hours
flew quickly, because he was daydreaming in the meantime. However,
he was trying to remain sober in vain. His heart overcame his mind
and projected images in front of his mind’s eyes, in which they
were celebrating their marriage with Amrita. He could not decide
whether he sees only his heart’s desire, or the future that will
really come true.